Peugeot unveils special-edition 208 to take on Pikes Peak

Peugeot has released the first pictures of its special-edition 208 T16 to be entered into the Unlimited division of this year's Pikes Peak hill-climb. For those unfamiliar, Colorado’s Pikes Peak Hill climb is the second oldest auto race in the US and takes place over a 12.4-mile mountain course with 156 turns of varying sharpness and difficulty.

Not only do drivers have to worry about flinging themselves into the abyss, they also need worry about decreasing oxygen, for man and machine, as they climb from 9,390 feet up to the summit at 14,110 feet. The current record stands at 9:46.164 by one Rhys Millen in 2012 in a highly modified Hyundai Genesis Coupe in the Time Attack division.

The car, that once resembled a regular Peugeot 208, will compete in the Unlimited Division class, so long as it passes its safety inspection that is. Unfortunately technical specs aren’t available, but we can surmise that the horsepower and performance numbers will provide no sympathy to the hill.

According to Peugeot styling guy, Michael Trouvé, “the 208s proportions are very different to those of the production 208.” Clearly. While Peugeot Sport provided the technical constraints, such as; body width, height, where the engine and wheels should go, Trouve’s team worked within the design brief to produce the extreme aesthetic interpretation. A wide assortment of automotive superlatives comes to mind when describing the racer but polite and gentile are not among them.

The stance is significantly lower, as are the emboldened wheel arches in which to fit the racing rubbers. The hollowed out shell will of course be replete with the usual mix of race-bred safety equipment and gadgetry. The cowl induction openings on the hood should help with engine breathing and aerodynamics, while the expansive grille opening will force feed oxygen to the engine.